1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a collapsible feeder and more particularly to a collapsible feeder for birds, squirrels and the like which is convenient to install, convenient for wild game to perch upon, and which includes a mesh feeder body comprised of a flexible plastic or rubbery material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Selectively collapsible containers are commonly used to hold seeds, suet and the like as food for wild animals such as birds, squirrels, etc. Many of the collapsible wild game feeders of the prior art are constructed from plastic polymer, natural fiber mesh or netting. Mesh or netting feeders have the advantage of not requiring a rod, dowel or other support for small birds, since the birds can perch on the mesh or net and feed at any exposed location on the feeder. Examples of mesh or net feeders of the prior art including the Thistle Pouch brand feeder manufactured by Havegard Farm, Inc. of Algoma, Wis., and Feathered Friends E-Z Feeders brand wild bird feeder marketed by Canine's Choice of Marion, Ind. Other types of collapsible feeders are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,203,281; 4,706,871; and 4,026,025. Another type of collapsible wild game feeder is described in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,881. The feeder of the '881 patent consists of a solid, weather-resistant bag fitted with openings at its base to allow attachment of rods for perching and access to the seed or other food contained in the bag.
Wire mesh feeders constructed of rigid steel wire are also well-known to those skilled in the art of wild game feeding. The rigid steel wire mesh feeders are frequently used to hold blocks of suet or mixtures of seed, animal fat, peanut butter and the like. Although the rigid wire mesh feeders of the known art are resistant to chewing by squirrels and pecking by aggressive feeding birds, the rigid wire mesh feeders are not selectively collapsible for storage, shipment, etc. When the rigid wire mesh feeders are bent, dented, flattened or crushed, they cannot be expanded and reused without suffering metal fatigue and damage to their attachments, connections and welds. One further disadvantage of many collapsible feeders is that they are suited for only one size of feed.
In an effort to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art collapsible feeders, applicant previously designed collapsible feeders which are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,047,661; 6,073,582; and 6,427,629. In the '661 and '582 patents, the mesh openings were designed to accommodate a specific seed size. In the '629 patent, applicant's feeder body is comprised of a plurality of annular ring members. In the feeder of the '629 patent, the feeder body remains in its extended position through frictional engagement between the hollow body segments. Occasionally, the hollow body segments, even though in frictional engagement with one another, tend to collapse during the filing procedure unless the feeder is hanging from a support. The feeders of applicant's earlier patents truly represented a significant advance in the art and it is believed that the collapsible feeder described herein represents an improvement over applicant's earlier designs.